Decontamination Method and Apparatus

ABSTRACT

Provided is an apparatus for disinfecting objects of various shapes and sizes. The apparatus includes a housing enclosing a disinfecting chamber, and an ultraviolet light source arranged to emit ultraviolet light into the disinfecting chamber to deactivate at least a portion of a biologically-active contagion present on the object. A peripheral wall of the housing that extends about a portion of the disinfecting chamber comprises an ultraviolet-reflective material so that the ultraviolet light impinging on the peripheral wall is reflected generally away from the peripheral wall and toward an interior of the disinfecting chamber. A door is adjustable between open and closed orientations. A floor at the bottom of the disinfecting chamber includes an ultraviolet-reflective surface that reflects the ultraviolet light impinging on the floor generally away from the floor toward the interior of the disinfecting chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser.No. 15/205,716, filed on Jul. 8, 2016, which is a continuation ofInternational Patent Application No. PCT/US2015/027976, filed Apr. 28,2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/985,248, filed Apr. 28, 2014, the entirety of each of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to a method and apparatus forreducing contagions on an object and, more specifically, to a method andapparatus for suitably exposing an object to be used in asubstantially-sterile environment to a disinfectant, which canoptionally be a sterilizing agent.

2. Description of Related Art

Sterile, or at least substantially-sterile environments are common inthe medical field for treating patients with minimal risk of infection.To avoid exposing patients in such environments to infectious organismsmedical personnel working therein are required to take precautionarymeasures. All personnel are required to wash thoroughly before enteringthe environment, and wear items of clothing such as surgical scrubs thathave been decontaminated.

Other objects such as medical equipment can also be contaminated withinfectious organisms, and can pose a threat to introduce such organismsinto the sterile environment. Bedding, medical devices, and virtuallyall other objects brought into a sterile environment must undergosterilization procedures to minimize the risk of infection to patients.More recently, portable electronic devices such as tablet computers, forexample, have become useful within sterile environments such as anoperating room during a surgical procedure. Pulse oximeters, keyboards,and any other object that is often touched by hospital personnel orpatients can also provide a means for transmitting infectious organismswhen not properly and consistently decontaminated.

The wide array of electronic devices such as tablet computers andnotebook computers, and medical devices, for example, that requiredecontamination pose additional problems when being considered for usein a medical environment. Their cases include apertures, seams, internalcompartments and a variety of other structures where infectiousorganisms can hide from a liquid disinfectant or sterilizing agent,which is often topically applied as part of a decontamination process.Further, liquid disinfectants must be thoroughly applied, and remain wetlong enough to achieve the desired level of decontamination, which makesthe decontamination process time consuming, and unlikely to be correctlyperformed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus forsterilizing the variety of commonly used devices in the medical fieldregardless of the particular shape of the object.

According to one aspect, the subject application involves an apparatusfor disinfecting objects of various shapes and sizes by placing theobject in a housing enclosing a disinfecting chamber. The disinfectingchamber includes ultraviolet light sources that emit ultraviolet lightto be imparted on the object in the disinfecting chamber fordeactivating at least a portion of the biologically-active contaminantpresent on the object. The disinfecting chamber is lined with areflective element so that the ultraviolet light may reflect around thechamber to provide maximum incidence with the object. The disinfectingchamber further includes a wall that is substantially-transparent toultraviolet light so that objects may be leaned against it. A floor ofthe disinfecting chamber rotates during a disinfecting procedure tofurther provide maximum incidence between the object and ultravioletlight source. A no-touch door allows users to insert and remove objectsto and from the disinfecting chamber without transferringbiologically-active contaminants from their hands to the chamber. As thedoor rotates open, a shield similarly rotates to block ultraviolet lightfrom the light sources while allowing access to the disinfectingchamber. Upon sensing that an object has been placed in the disinfectingchamber, the door rotates closed along with the shield, again exposingthe disinfecting chamber to the ultraviolet light sources. Finally, ahook or hanging light source may extend downward from the upper surfaceof the disinfecting chamber to hang objects, particularly those withcords.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves anapparatus for rendering an object pathogen reduced. The apparatusincludes a housing enclosing a disinfecting chamber in which the objectis to be placed, and an ultraviolet light source arranged to emitultraviolet light into the disinfecting chamber to be imparted on theobject within the disinfecting chamber for deactivating at least aportion of a biologically-active contagion present on the object. Aperipheral wall of the housing extends about a portion of thedisinfecting chamber, and comprises an ultraviolet-reflective materialso that the ultraviolet light impinging on the peripheral wall isreflected generally away from the peripheral wall and toward an interiorof the disinfecting chamber. A door is adjustable between open andclosed orientations to selectively permit access to the disinfectingchamber and interfere with emission of the ultraviolet light from thedisinfection chamber into an ambient environment of the apparatus. Afloor defines a bottom surface of the disinfecting chamber andcomprising an ultraviolet-reflective surface that reflects theultraviolet light impinging on the floor generally away from the floortoward the interior of the disinfecting chamber.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a methodfor using the above-described apparatus for disinfecting commonly useddevices and objects, particularly in the medical field.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of adecontamination apparatus, with a door closed during performance of adecontamination process;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of adecontamination apparatus, with a door open to receive objects to berendered pathogen reduced;

FIG. 3 is perspective view of an upper region of a housing provided to adecontamination apparatus, with a door restricting access to a storagecompartment in a closed orientation;

FIG. 4 is perspective view of an upper region of a housing provided to adecontamination apparatus, with a door restricting access to a storagecompartment in an open orientation;

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway view of the alternate embodiment of adecontamination apparatus shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway view looking down onto the alternateembodiment of a decontamination apparatus shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of adecontamination apparatus, with a door closed during performance of adecontamination process;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a decontamination apparatus including afloor with a plurality of upward-extending supports; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a decontamination apparatus including aplanar floor with an overlaid substrate formed from a material that issubstantially transparent to UVC light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase “at least one of”, if usedherein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of themembers, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example,the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means inthe present application: the first widget, the second widget, or thefirst widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a firstwidget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the presentapplication: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, thefirst widget and the second widget, the first widget and the thirdwidget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget andthe second widget and the third widget.

The disinfecting process performed by the present decontaminationapparatus 10 and methods described herein can be performed on demand torender objects pathogen reduced, interchangeably referred to herein asmaterially-disinfected, as those objects are needed in an application,for example, a medical application. Rendering the object “pathogenreduced” does not necessarily require the object to be 100% sterile,free of any and all viable living organisms capable of reproduction topropagate an infection. Instead, to be “pathogen reduced” or “materiallydisinfected”, the exterior surfaces of the object and the livingcontagions thereon must be exposed to ultraviolet-C (“UVC”) light (e.g.,having a wavelength of approximately 100 nm to approximately 280 nm) orother suitable disinfecting agent (e.g., radiation, etc.) for a suitablelength of time to reduce the level of such viable contagions by apredetermined percentage for the particular application of the object.In other words, there must be a lower level of living contagions on thedecontaminated surfaces capable of reproducing or otherwise causing aninfection after performance of the decontamination process than thelevel that existed on the surfaces immediately prior to performance ofthe decontamination process. For example, the exposed surfaces in thebathroom can be considered to be pathogen reduced if at least a 1 log₁₀reduction of such contagions on the surfaces remain infectious (i.e., nomore than 1/10th of the biologically-active contagions originally on theexposed surfaces remain active or infectious at a time when thedecontamination process is completed) occurs. According to yet otherembodiments, the surfaces can be considered pathogen reduced once atleast a 3 log₁₀ reduction (i.e., 1/1,000th) of such contagions on thesurfaces is achieved.

Although this exposure to the UVC light may not kill the contagions, theexposed contagions are unable to replicate as a result of the exposureto UVC light, thus promoting a lower level of replicating livingcontagions on the object after performance of the sterilization processthan existed on the object prior to performance of the sterilizationprocess. According to other embodiments, the object is required topossess a lower level of living or otherwise biologically-activecontagions than a threshold quantity permitted under U.S. Food and DrugAdministration requirements on objects dedicated for use in a sterilefield such as in an operating room during a surgical procedure.According to other embodiments, the sterilization process kills orotherwise eliminates at least 99% of all living or otherwisebiologically-active contagions present on the object immediately priorto performance of the sterilization process. According to yet otherembodiments, achieving high-level disinfection of an object utilizingthe disinfecting apparatus can involve deactivation of a suitableportion of the biologically-active contagions to achieve at least a 1log₁₀ reduction of such contagions on the object that remain infectious(i.e., no more than 1/10^(th) of the biologically-active contagions onthe object remain active or infectious at a time when thedecontamination process is completed). According to yet otherembodiments, achieving a low to intermediate-level of disinfection of anobject utilizing the disinfecting apparatus can involve deactivation ofa suitable portion of the biologically-active contagions to achieve atleast a 3 log₁₀ reduction (i.e., 1/1,000^(th)) 99.9% of such contagionson the object. According to yet other embodiments, achieving high-leveldisinfection of an object utilizing disinfecting apparatus can involvedeactivation of a suitable portion of the biologically-active contagionsto achieve at least a 6 log₁₀ reduction (i.e., 1/1,000,000^(th)) of suchcontagions on the object. Yet other embodiments requiring sterilizationof the object can result in a complete and total absence of viableorganisms on the object at a time when the decontamination process iscompleted.

Thus, although referred to as a “decontamination apparatus 10” hereinfor convenience, it is to be understood that the decontaminationapparatus 10 subjects objects to a decontamination process that at leastdecontaminates, and can optionally disinfect or even optionallysterilize the objects by exposing the objects to UVC light or othersuitable disinfectant or sterilizing agent. Once the decontaminationprocess is complete, the objects are suitable for use in a sterile fieldsuch as an operating room during a surgical procedure or otherhealthcare-related practice.

Generally, the embodiment of the decontamination apparatus 10interchangeably referred to herein as a disinfection apparatus 10,appearing in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a housing 12 and at least one, andoptionally a plurality of doors 16 that collectively enclose an interiorspace as a disinfecting chamber 14 in which objects to be decontaminatedare to be placed. One or a plurality of sources, shown in theillustrated embodiment as one or more UVC light bulbs 18, direct adisinfecting agent in the form of UVC light toward the surface(s) of theobject in the disinfecting chamber 14 to be rendered pathogen reduced.

The housing 12 can be formed from a rigid plastic, metallic, othersuitable material, or combinations thereof, and include at least onematerial that is opaque to UVC light to interfere with the emission ofUVC light from the decontamination apparatus 10 into the ambientenvironment of the decontamination apparatus 10. Although shown in thedrawings as being generally cylindrical in shape to accommodate at leastone of a floor 20 and a ceiling 22 that rotates as described below, thehousing 12 can also optionally be formed with an exterior and/orinterior configured in any desired shape without departing from thescope of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing12 can also include a storage compartment 54 that can be closed by adoor 56 that is pivotally connected to the housing 12 by one or aplurality of hinges 58. The door 56 can optionally include a lock thatsecures the door 56 in the closed orientation to securely containobjects that may be commonly used with the decontamination apparatus 10or that are to be transported with the portable embodiments of thedecontamination apparatus 10.

A portable base 24 comprising a plurality of wheels 26, casters, etc. onwhich the housing 12 is mounted can optionally be provided to facilitatetransportation of the decontamination apparatus 10 from one location toanother. One or more upright pillars 28 extends upward from a carriage30 supporting the wheels 26 of the portable base 24 to support thehousing 12 at a convenient height above the ground. The wheels 26 canoptionally be lockable, to interfere with movement of thedecontamination apparatus 10 once positioned at a desired location.According to alternate embodiments, the decontamination apparatus 10 caninclude a stationary base that lacks wheels 26 for transportation,instead being provided with a carriage having a flat bottom that restson the ground at a desired location. Such an embodiment of thedecontamination apparatus 10 could be lifted to be transported from onelocation to another. Yet other embodiments of the decontaminationapparatus 10 can lack the base 24 altogether. According to suchembodiments, the housing 12 can be placed on a counter, desk, bench orother work surface. Like the embodiments with the stationary base, thehousing 12 could be lifted to transport the decontamination apparatus 10from one location to another. Alternately, the housing 12 could be“built in” to the wall or other structure at a location, establishingthe decontamination apparatus 10 as a fixture at the healthcarefacility.

The inward-facing surface 32 (FIG. 2) of at least one of the door 16 andthe housing 12 that is exposed to the interior space of thedecontamination chamber 14 can optionally be formed from, or otherwiseprovided with a liner of a UVC reflective material. The UVC reflectivematerial has a reflectance that causes a substantial portion (e.g., atleast 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, atleast 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, and at least 95%)of UVC light emitted by the UVC bulbs 18 incident on the surface 32 tobe reflected inward, into the decontamination chamber 14. Similarly, theinward-facing surface of the floor 20, and optionally the inward-facingsurface of the ceiling 22 can be formed from, or otherwise provided witha liner of the UVC reflective material. Examples of the UVC reflectivematerial include, but are not limited to polished aluminum. Butregardless of the configuration of the disinfecting chamber 14, thedisinfecting chamber 14 can optionally be sealed, optionallyhermetically, to prevent air within the disinfecting chamber fromventing into the ambient environment of the disinfecting apparatus 10.This seal can also prevent circulation of ambient air into thedecontamination apparatus 10. Further, the decontamination apparatus 10can optionally include, or be operatively connected to a vacuum sourcethat is operable to optionally evacuate the disinfecting chamber 14.

A plurality of the UVC bulbs 18 can be distributed about the peripheryof the inward-facing surface 32 of the housing 12 to emit UVC lightgenerally toward a central region of the floor 20 as shown in FIG. 2. Tominimize interference with UVC light emitted by other UVC bulbs 18, eachof the UVC bulbs 18 can optionally be recessed into the lateral wall ofthe housing 12, to position an optional protective glass cover (which isUVC transparent) over the UVC bulbs 18 flush with an adjacent region ofthe inward-facing surface 32.

The housing 12 may be of any desired size. For example, in determiningthe size of the housing 12 is the volume of the disinfecting chamber 14.There are at least two competing interests in determining the size ofthe disinfecting chamber 14. First, the intensity of the UVC lightemitted by the UVC light bulbs 18 deceases as distance from the sourceincreases according to an inverse squared relationship, and thedisinfecting factor of the UVC light is determined by the product of theintensity of this UVC light and the time of irradiation. Therefore, thelarger the disinfecting chamber 14 is, the longer the decontaminationprocess during which the UVC light is imparted on the objects in thedisinfecting chamber 14 needs to be in order to reach an appropriatelevel of pathogen reduction. However, it is also desirable to have adisinfecting chamber 14 that is large enough to hold objects of variousshapes and sizes, but smaller than would be required to allow an adultuser to occupy the disinfecting chamber 14. For example, a computerkeyboard requires a disinfecting chamber 14 that is approximately twentyinches tall whereas a pulse oximeter would require a disinfectingchamber that is only a few inches tall. Accordingly, it may be desirablein some embodiments to have a large disinfecting chamber 14 and in someembodiments to have a small disinfecting chamber 14. It should be notedthat the size of the disinfecting chamber 14 is not intended to be alimiting parameter.

The floor 20 at the bottom of the disinfecting chamber 14 on whichobjects being decontaminated rest can optionally be stationary, andintegrally formed as part of a monolithic structure along with theinward-facing surface 32 of the housing 12. According to alternateembodiments, the floor 20 can optionally be formed separate from theinward-facing surface 32 of the housing 12, and supported above asubfloor structure 27 of the housing 12 to pivot and/or rotate duringdecontamination processes about a central axis of a vertical mountingpost 21 (FIG. 8) that extends between the floor and a floor motor 25.For example, the floor motor 25 can be operatively connected to acontroller 40, described below, to be rotated or pivoted about thecentral axis of the mounting post 21 according to computer-executableinstructions in a non-transitory computer-readable memory 42. Asdetermined by the controller 40, the floor 20 can be rotated and/orpivoted at any desired angular velocity, such as angular velocitieswithin a range from approximately one (1 rpm) revolution per minute toapproximately ten (10 rpm) revolutions per minute.

Although the floor 20 is described herein in detail as a generallyplaner structure, an alternate embodiment of the floor 20, shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, includes a plurality of upward-extending,pyramidal-shaped supports 104 projecting to an elevation within thedisinfection chamber 14 vertically above a lower region of the floor 20.The upper surfaces of the supports 104 serve to limit the surface areaof the floor 20 in contact with the object placed in the disinfectingchamber 14 because such contact areas could potentially inhibit UVClight from reaching the object to achieve the desired level of pathogenreduction. As shown in FIG. 5, the supports 104 have a profile that issomewhat frusto-conical when viewed from the side, with a rising surfacetruncated to form a planar top surface. According to an alternateembodiment shown in FIG. 8, the supports 104 can extend upward to anapex formed as a substantially pointed tip 105, thus having a profileappearance when viewed from the perspective of FIG. 8 of an upside downV shape. For any of the embodiments, including those with asubstantially planar floor 20 such as that shown in FIG. 9, asubstantially planar substrate 107 formed from a material that issubstantially-transparent to UVC light, transmitting most of the UVClight reflected or transmitted upward from below without significantattenuation thereof, can optionally be overlaid on top of the floor 20to help separate the object thereon from the floor 20. An illustrativeexample of a suitable material for the substrate 107 that issubstantially transparent to UVC light is a half (0.5 in.) inch thicksheet of a fluorinated ethylene propylene (“FEP”) polymeric material,although any suitably-transparent material can be used. The FEPpolymeric material can optionally also be utilized in the constructionof the floor 20 for alternate embodiments. In some embodiments, thefloor 20 may support (e.g., in the in the troughs between the pyramidalshapes 104), overlay, or otherwise be positioned near optionaladditional UVC light bulbs, thereby increasing the likelihood the objectreceives UVC light at or near points of contact with the floor 20. Inother embodiments the floor 104 may be constructed of UVC light sourcesdisposed within quartz tubes so that even at points of contact with theobject to be rendered pathogen reduced, the UVC light is imparted on allexternally-exposed surfaces of the object. However, in embodiments whereUVC light sources themselves act as a floor 20, the light sources may besubject to breaking if a heavy object is placed in the disinfectingchamber 14 or an object is dropped in to the disinfecting chamber 14. Inthese cases, it may be desirable to reinforce the UVC light sources. Anymaterials used to reinforce the UVC light sources should besubstantially transparent to UVC light to permit transmission of asubstantial portion (e.g., at least 60%, or at least 80%, or at least90%, or at least 95%) of the UV light emitted. One illustrative exampleof such a material is quartz. Another material that issubstantially-transparent and can be used to reinforce the UVC lightbulbs is polypropylene. In still other embodiments, rather than restingon the pyramidal shapes 104 protruding from the floor 20, an object mayrest in a basket, for example, a wire-frame or mesh basket optionallyformed of quartz. As shown in FIG. 1, a substantially-planar meshsupport (represented by the cross hatching on the floor 20 in FIG. 1)formed from crossing, interwoven, or other matrix of strands formed froma metal wire (which is optically opaque to UVC light), a quartz material(which is substantially transparent to UVC light), etc. can optionallybe placed on the floor to elevate the object from the surface of thefloor 20, which can optionally include a UVC reflective material thatreflects the UVC light upward, toward the object. In such embodiments,UVC light emitted from UVC light bulbs 18 and reflected by the floor 20can pass through the openings in the mesh to the object, while the smalldiameter of the metal wire, for example, forming the mesh limits thecontact areas of the object that could potentially be at least partiallyshielded from UVC light by the mesh. According to other embodiments, thefloor 20 itself can optionally be formed of the FEP polymeric material,fused silica or quartz, for example, and one or more UVC light bulbs 18arranged vertically beneath the floor 20, thereby separating the objectsto be disinfected from the UVC light bulbs 18. For such embodiments, thefloor 20 can be approximately three sixteenths ( 3/16 in.) of an inchthick to transmit approximately 80%-85% of the UVC light emitted bythose UVC light bulbs 18.

Similarly, the ceiling 22 defining the top of the disinfecting chamber14 can optionally be stationary, and integrally formed as part of amonolithic structure along with the inward-facing surface 32 of thehousing 12. According to alternate embodiments, the ceiling 22 canoptionally be formed separate from the inward-facing surface 32 of thehousing 12, and suspended from a superstructure 29 of the housing 12above the ceiling 22 to pivot and/or rotate during decontaminationprocesses about a central axis of a vertical mounting post 35, as shownin FIG. 8, that extends between the ceiling 22 and a ceiling motor 37.For example, the ceiling motor 37 can be operatively connected to acontroller 40, described below, to be rotated or pivoted about thecentral axis of the mounting post 35 according to computer-executableinstructions in the non-transitory computer-readable memory 42. Asdetermined by the controller 40, the ceiling 22 can be rotated and/orpivoted at any desired angular velocity, such as angular velocitieswithin a range from approximately one (1 rpm) revolution per minute toapproximately ten (10 rpm) revolutions per minute. According toalternate embodiments, the ceiling motor 37 can optionally beoperatively connected to cause rotation of the hook 41 instead of theceiling 22, thereby causing rotation of the hook 21 within thedisinfection chamber during a decontamination process relative to thestationary ceiling 22.

At least one hook 41, and optionally a plurality of hooks 41 or othersuitable structure(s) from which objects being subjected to adecontamination process can be suspended above the floor 20 within thedisinfecting chamber 14 can be coupled to the ceiling 22. The hook 41can optionally be removable from, and re-attachable to the ceiling 22 byhand, without the use of a tool conferring a mechanical advantage. Thehook 41 can optionally be formed of quartz or another materialsubstantially transparent to UVC light, and can hang from the ceiling22. The hook 41 can be useful to support objects with cords, such aspulse oximeters, so that the cord may dangle freely in the disinfectingchamber 14 and be exposed to the UVC light. In contrast, if the objectwith a cord was simply placed in the disinfecting chamber 102, the cordmay “bunch” on the floor 20, possibly leaving contact points unexposedto UVC light.

According to alternate embodiments, the hook 41 may itself support itsown UVC light bulb such as a UVC LED or similar compact UVC lightsource. In such embodiments, the inside of the object suspended from thehook 41 may also be exposed to the UVC light and rendered pathogenreduced. An illustrative example of such an object is a pulse oximeter.The aperture for a finger of the pulse oximeter may be clamped onto theend 51 of a hook 41 provided with a UVC LED that emits UVC light fromthe end 51 of the hook 41 to render the interior of the pulse oximeterpathogen reduced. According to other embodiments, rather than attachingthe pulse oximeter or like object to the hook 41, the object may besimilarly clamped to a tube or pyramidal shape 104 of the floor 20.

The disinfecting chamber 14 can also optionally include a wall 106(FIGS. 5 and 6) or other suitable structure for leaning objects against.Since the wall 106 represents a large contact point with the object, inmany embodiments the wall 106 is also made of a material that issubstantially-transparent to UVC light. For example, the wall 104 couldbe made of tubes of quartz aligned next to each other.

The door(s) 16 can be mechanized to be opened and/or closedautomatically, without physical contact with a human hand. For theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of opposed, double doors16 cooperate to selectively close the entrance into the disinfectingchamber 14. A pushrod 34 extends between each door 16 and an actuatorsuch as a door motor 36 (FIG. 8), which is operatively connected to acontroller 40 that is operable to control opening and closing of thedoors 16. Activation of the door motor 36 in a first direction accordingto instructions from the controller 40 extends the pushrods 34 outwardfrom the housing 12, thereby urging the doors 16 open. Activation of thedoor motor 36 in a second direction, opposite the first direction,according to instructions from the controller 40 retracts the pushrods34 into the housing 12, thereby urging the doors 16 closed.

To allow a user to control the opening and/or closing of the doors 16without physically making contact with the doors 16, a vision system 38including a photo eye, proximity sensor, or any suitable sensor 39(FIGS. 3 and 4) that is operable to sense a user's hand in closeproximity to the that can sense movement of an object near the housing12 is operatively connected to the controller 40. Computer executableinstructions stored in a non-transitory memory 42 in communication witha computer processor 44 provided to the controller 40 define a controlroutine based on signals transmitted by the vision system indicative ofmovement sensed by the sensor 39. When such instructions are executed bythe computer processor 44, the computer processor 44 transmits a controlsignal to cause operation of the door 36 motor in a suitable directionto manipulate the position of the door(s) 16 without requiring physicalcontact between the user and the decontamination apparatus 10.

For example, a user can wave a hand in front of the sensor 39, and suchsensed movement is converted into a signal transmitted by the visionsystem 38 to be received and interpreted by the computer processor 44 ofthe controller 40. In response to receiving such a signal, the computerprocessor 44 executes door-controlling instructions stored in the memory42 to determine whether the doors 16 are open or closed. If the doors 16are closed, the computer processor 44 transmits a signal that causesoperation of the door motor 36 to open the doors 16. Conversely, if thedoors 16 are open, the computer processor 44 transmits a signal thatcauses operation of the door motor 36 in a manner to close the doors 16in response to the user waving a hand in front of the vision system 38.The computer processor 44, based on instructions in the memory 42, canalso optionally automatically begin a decontamination process once thedoors 16 are fully closed, or the computer processor 44 can commence thedecontamination process in response to another hand wave or othersuitable gesture being sensed by the vision system 38.

The gestures that control various operational aspects of thedecontamination apparatus 10 are described as hand waves, but anygesture, movement, or other triggering event can be sensed to controlthe decontamination apparatus 10 in a touchless manner.

Although the doors 16 are described above as opposing, hinged doors thatclose in directions toward the opposite door 16, the present disclosureis not limited to such a door configuration. For example, an alternateembodiment of a door 114 is shown provided to the embodiment of thedecontamination apparatus 10 in FIG. 7. Rather than swing open similarto the doors 16 described above, the door 114 of the present embodimentslides between open and closed positions in the directions indicated byarrow 115 appearing in FIG. 6. The vision system 38, a proximity sensorpositioned adjacent to the door 114, and/or any other suitable sensorcan sense an object to be disinfected approaching, and being broughtwithin close proximity to the door 114 to be placed inside thedisinfecting chamber 14. The vision system 38 or other suitable sensormay also detect when the user's hand is removed from the disinfectingchamber 14. Upon detecting removal of the user's hand, the controller 40automatically adjusts the position of the door 114 to the closedposition.

An optional shield 112 formed as a panel of a material that is opaque toUVC light can optionally be arranged within a space 111 between anexterior shell 117 of the housing 12 and an interior liner 119 thatdefines the disinfection chamber 14 and includes the UVC reflectivematerial, as shown in FIG. 6. The computer processor 44 (FIG. 8) of thecontroller 40 can execute instructions stored in the memory 42 to adjustthe position of the shield 112 based on whether the door 114 is closedor in a partial or fully open state as an additional measure tointerfere with UVC light emitted by the UVC light bulbs 18 from escapingthe decontamination apparatus 10. For example, when the vision system 38detects a gesture instructing the controller 40 to open the door 114,before the controller 40 begins to open the door 114 the controller 40can adjust a position of the shields 112, one for each UVC light bulb18, to be positioned in front of its respective UVC light bulb 18. Withthe shields 112 in place, the controller 40 can commence operation ofthe door motor 36 to open the door 114. Once the door 114 is returned tothe fully-closed position, the controller 40 can again adjust theposition of the shields 112 to allow emission of the UVC light emittedby the UVC light bulbs 18 into the disinfecting chamber 14.

When such a sensor recognize an object has been brought into closeproximity with the door 114 to be placed in the disinfecting chamber thedoor 114, and optionally shield parts 112, rotate such that thedisinfecting chamber 102 is exposed to a user placing an object in thedisinfecting chamber 102. To prevent irradiation of a user or extraneousobjects, the shield parts 112 rotate to cover each of the UVC lightsources 110. But again, according to alternate embodiments, UVC lightsources 110 that are adjustable instead of installed at a fixed locationcan optionally move behind the shields 112. However, for the sake ofbrevity, the shield parts 112 are illustrated as being adjustabledepending on the state of the door 114. Sensors can also optionallydetect when a user's hand is removed from the disinfecting chamber 102after depositing the object to be disinfected.

The controller 40 can also optionally include a timer component 46, asshown in FIG. 8. The timer component 46 is shown as its own structure,separate from the computer processor 44, but the timer component 46 canoptionally be integrated as a portion of the computer processor 44,executing computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 42 toperform the various timing functions described herein. Regardless of itsconfiguration, the timer component 46 transmits a signal indicating thata predetermined period of time has expired. For example, in response tothe vision system 38 sensing a gesture to close the doors 16 andinitiate a decontamination process, the timer component 46 can beinitialized to the desired length of the decontamination process. Thisdesired length of time can optionally be programmable by users and/oradministrators with managerial privileges, or can be pre-programmed as adefault value stored in the memory 42. Regardless of how the desiredlength of time is established, once the timer component 46 determinesthis length of time has elapsed following initiation of adecontamination process, the timer component 46 transmits a signalnotifying the computer processor 44 that the decontamination process iscomplete, and the UVC light bulbs 18 can be deactivated. According toalternate embodiments, the UVC light bulbs 18 can optionally be operatedat a lower, but still active (e.g., the UVC light bulbs 18 remain on, asopposed to be switched off) power level than the power level at whichthe UVC light bulbs 18 were operating during the decontamination processto maintain the pathogen-reduced state of the objects in thedisinfection chamber 14. According to yet other embodiments, the UVCbulbs 18 can be occasionally altered between on and off states followingcompletion of the decontamination process until a time when the objectsare removed from the disinfection chamber 18.

Once the decontamination process has been completed, the decontaminationapparatus 10 can issue a visible, audible or other suitable indicationthat the decontamination process has been completed. For example, thedecontamination apparatus 10 can include a light-emitting device,display device, or other selectively-operated indicator that, whenobserved, conveys information about the status of the decontaminationprocess. For the illustrative embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4, amulti-colored light-emitting diode (“LED”) 48 can be illuminated to emitdifferent colors of light based on the status of the decontaminationapparatus 10. The LED 48 can emit green light to indicate that objectswithin the disinfection chamber 14 have been subjected to adecontamination process that was performed to completion (e.g., the UVClight bulbs 18 remained active for the duration of the predeterminedperiod of time as determined by the timer component 46). The LED 48 canemit red light to indicate that objects within the disinfection chamber14 have been subjected to a decontamination process, but thedecontamination process was prematurely interrupted before it wascompleted (e.g., the UVC light bulbs 18 were deactivated as a result ofa command to open the doors 16, an attempt to manually open the doors16, manual entry of a cancel command, unexpected loss of electric power,etc., prior to expiration of the predetermined period of time asdetermined by the timer component 46). The LED 48 can emit yellow lightto indicate that objects within the disinfection chamber 14 arecurrently undergoing an active decontamination process has not yet beencompleted (e.g., the UVC light bulbs 18 have remained active,uninterrupted, but the predetermined period of time as determined by thetimer component 46 has not yet expired). The above examples are meant tobe illustrative. Any suitable indicator, whether visible (e.g., flashingLED 48, etc.), audible (e.g., beeping sound from a speaker, etc.) or anycombination thereof, can be used to convey status information about thedecontamination apparatus 10 and its operation.

As noted above, the decontamination process can be prematurelyinterrupted, meaning that the objects within the disinfection chamber 14may not have been exposed to the required dose of UVC light to achievethe desired level of decontamination. Rather than simply allowing thedecontamination process terminate prematurely and indicating thisstatus, the controller 40 can optionally be configured to automatically(e.g., without manual user intervention) resume theprematurely-interrupted decontamination process from the point at whichit was prematurely interrupted if the interruption is determined by thecontroller 40 to be momentary (e.g., shorter than five (5) minutes orother predetermined period of time programmed into the controller 40),and/or optionally automatically restart the decontamination process fromthe beginning if the interruption is determined by the controller 40 tobe lengthy (e.g., greater than 5 minutes or other predetermined periodof time programmed into the controller 40). The status of thedecontamination apparatus 10 indicated by the LED 48 or other suitableindicator can reflect the current status. Thus, if the decontaminationprocess was prematurely interrupted, restarted and completed, the statusindicator will indicate that the decontamination process has beensuccessfully completed.

Alternate embodiments of the decontamination apparatus can optionallyinclude a network-communication port 52 that is operatively connected tothe controller 40 to facilitate network communications between thecontroller 40 and a remote computer. For example, thenetwork-communication port 52 can include a wireless communicationantenna that is configured to communicate over short range (e.g.,Bluetooth, etc.) local wireless networks, over WiFi wireless networkscompliant with the 802.11 and/or other standards promulgated by TheInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. According toalternate embodiments, the network-communication port 52 can include awired connection component such as an Ethernet (e.g., RJ-45) jack, andthe like. Status information available to the controller 40, includinginformation about any of the operational aspects of the decontaminationapparatus 10 described herein, can be transmitted over a private localarea network (“LAN”), wide area network (“WAN”), or a combinationthereof to a desired recipient. Such an intended recipient can be acleaning administrator responsible for operation of the decontaminationapparatus 10, or any other person to whom status reports shouldappropriately be sent.

Although UVC light bulbs 18 are described herein as examples of thedecontaminating sources, alternate embodiments of the sterilizing ordisinfecting agent sources can include, but are not limited to Xenonlight sources or any other source of radiation that can be used torender objects materially disinfected are within the scope of thepresent disclosure. For instance, strobed Xenon light sources, withtheir operation timed to prevent operation during times when the doors16 or the no-touch door 114 and/or shield 112 described herein are open.For any of the embodiments described herein not utilizing pulsedsources, operation of such sources during the disinfection process canoptionally be limited to a period that minimizes the yellowing exhibitedby surfaces exposed to the sources during disinfection.

In other embodiments, one or a plurality of UVC light bulbs 18 may belocated at the top of the disinfecting chamber 14, adjacent to theceiling 22. In such embodiments, the UVC light bulbs 18 may hang fromthe ceiling, or extend parallel to the ceiling 22. UVC light sources mayalso be embedded in the ceiling in a manner similar to that describedwith respect to the floor 104.

Although the embodiments described above include a disinfecting chamber14 in which objects are to be placed, by hand, to be exposed to adisinfecting agent and rendered pathogen reduced, other embodimentsinclude a disinfecting chamber 14 with a floor 20 that is locatedapproximately at a level of a ground surface on which thedecontamination apparatus 10 rests. Such a disinfecting chamber 14 canextend upwardly a suitable height to allow hospital furniture such as anIV stand on which an IV bag is, or has been suspended, to be rolled intothe disinfecting chamber 14 without having to be elevated above morethan a molding exposed while the doors 16 are open. Such embodiments mayinclude a door that closes all the way to the ground surface on whichthe decontamination apparatus 10 rests, preventing the UVC light fromexiting the disinfecting apparatus 10 during operation. In use, the IVstand or other wheeled object to be rendered materially disinfected canbe rolled over a mat or otherwise wiped down with a disinfectant whenthe IV stand is rolled into or out of the disinfecting apparatus 10. Aninfusion pump or other object supported by the IV stand can optionallyremain in place during operation of the disinfecting apparatus 10, alsorendering the exposed surfaces of those objects materially disinfected.Such usage would not expose every single surface of the IV stand,infusion pump and/or other object to the UVC light. However, the exposedsurfaces of those objects that operators will commonly come into contactwith during typical usage are rendered materially disinfected.

Although adjusting the position of the object relative to the UVC lightbulbs 18 is accomplished in the description above by rotating and/orpivoting the object through a pivotal or rotational floor 20, ceiling 22and/or hook 41. However, alternate embodiments can achieve thoroughexposure of the object to UVC light by rotating at least one, andoptionally a plurality or all of the UVC light bulbs 18 about astationary object in the disinfecting chamber 14.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of this invention. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for rendering an object pathogenreduced, the apparatus comprising: a housing enclosing a disinfectingchamber in which the object is to be placed; an ultraviolet light sourcearranged to emit ultraviolet light into the disinfecting chamber to beimparted on the object in the disinfecting chamber for deactivating atleast a portion of a biologically-active contagion present on theobject; a peripheral wall of the housing that extends about a portion ofthe disinfecting chamber and comprises an ultraviolet-reflectivematerial so that the ultraviolet light impinging on the peripheral wallis reflected generally away from the peripheral wall and toward aninterior of the disinfecting chamber; a door that is adjustable betweenopen and closed orientations to selectively permit access to thedisinfecting chamber and interfere with emission of the ultravioletlight from the disinfecting chamber into an ambient environment of theapparatus; a floor that defines a bottom surface of the disinfectingchamber and supports the object within the disinfecting chamber; and arotation device operatively connected to the floor to rotate the floorsupporting the object within the disinfecting chamber during adecontamination process to vary an angle of incidence of the ultravioletlight emitted by the ultraviolet light source on the object.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 further comprising an actuator operativelyconnected to the door to adjust a position of the door between the openand closed orientations in a mechanized manner.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2 further comprising a sensor that senses a command relating tothe door, the command comprising at least one of a proximity of theobject to the apparatus and a gesture, and wherein the sensor transmitsa signal indicative of the command to cause the actuator to adjust thedoor.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a controller thatis configured to control operation of the ultraviolet light source inresponse to receiving the signal indicative of the command relating tothe door.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a controllerthat is configured to control operation of the ultraviolet light sourcein response to receiving a second signal transmitted by the sensor, thesecond signal being different than the signal indicative of the commandrelating to the door.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising ahanging device that extends downward from a ceiling of the disinfectingchamber from which the object is to be hung.
 7. The apparatus of claim6, wherein the ceiling comprises an ultraviolet-reflective surface thatreflects the ultraviolet light impinging on the ceiling generally awayfrom the ceiling toward an interior of the disinfecting chamber.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 6, further comprising an operational connectionbetween: (i) at least one of the ceiling and the hook, and (ii) therotation device or a second rotation device to cause rotation of the atleast one of the ceiling and the hook during a disinfecting procedure tovary an angle of incidence of the ultraviolet light emitted by theultraviolet light source on the object.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1further comprising a wall within the disinfecting chamber, the wallbeing formed at least in part from a material that issubstantially-transparent to the ultraviolet light against which objectsare to be leaned, wherein the ultraviolet light is transmitted throughthe material to reach a portion of the object contacting the wall. 10.The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a network communication portthat facilitates network communications between the apparatus and aremotely-located computer terminal.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10further comprising a controller operatively connected to the networkcommunication port to transmit status information relating to anoperational status of the apparatus to the remotely-located computer viathe network communication port.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a status indicator that issues a status alert comprising atleast one of a visible and an audible status signal.
 13. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the floor that defines the bottom surface of thedisinfecting chamber comprises an ultraviolet-reflective surface thatreflects the ultraviolet light impinging on the floor generally awayfrom the floor toward the interior of the disinfecting chamber.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor comprises a plurality ofupward-extending supports that extend upward into the disinfectingchamber from a lower region of the floor and are spaced apart from eachother.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a substratepositioned over the plurality of upward-extending supports in thedisinfecting chamber.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising aspacer placed over the floor to be arranged between the object in thedisinfecting chamber and the floor to separate the object from thefloor, wherein the floor that defines the bottom surface of thedisinfecting chamber comprises an ultraviolet-reflective surface thatreflects the ultraviolet light impinging on the floor generally awayfrom the floor toward an underside of the object resting on top of thespacer.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the spacer comprises amesh formed from strands of a material that is substantially-opaque tothe ultraviolet light.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the spacercomprises a mesh formed from strands of a material that issubstantially-transparent to the ultraviolet light.